MacUpdate has just released their newest bundle of mac software at a fraction of the price that it would normally cost. This time around, the bundle includes:
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TechTool Pro 5
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Parallels Desktop 4
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Notebook 3
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NetBarrier X5
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MoneyWell
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Paperless
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RipIt
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Multiplex
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DVDRemaster Pro 5
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Posterino
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BetterZip
Bonus Apps (first 15, 000 downloads):
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Jets'n'Guns Gold
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CuteClips
The retail value for all the software is $521.71, but the bundle is going for only $49.99.
You can check out the
MacUpdate bundle website to watch an introductory video describing each piece of software.
Personally, I might jump at this just for Parallels 4, since that's half the cost it would normally be just for that app, plus I'd get all the others as a bonus. Although, the student discount on VMWare Fusion is $49.99 too, and I've heard from quite a few people who like it over Parallels. Might be time for me to do some research.
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I can't decide if I wanna do this bundle. I already have VMWare Fusion, and I like it an awful lot but I've never really worked with Parallels. Especially not with a recent version. I already own MoneyWell, which I like and am eagerly awaiting the release of their iPhone app. Two of the apps have similar functionality (DVDRemaster Pro, RipIt).
Anyone have some experience with both VMWare and Parallels?
*looks at macheist bundle*
Edit: 14 days 10 hours apparently.
Plenty of time to even get in on the 15,000 business.
XBL - Follow Freeman
Ripit / DVD Master Pro would be ok, except Handbrake is free...
And I turned down Parallels during the Circuit City closing (it was $20 at that time) as Virtual Box is doing everything I need...
Damn I'm negative lately...
decisions are difficult
Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
PSN:RevDrGalactus/NN:RevDrGalactus/Steam
I've used various versions of both products and while I personally prefer VMware Fusion, the two are pretty much equivalent. One or the other will gain an advantage (new feature, performance, etc) but then will be leapfrogged by the other within short order.
As a sidenote, maximumzero, we were in a TF2 game the other day, and if I recall you game on your mac. What version of Windows do you have through Boot Camp? Does Apple provide regular drivers, or would it be best to get drivers from the manufacturer (like Nvidia)? Which Mac do you have, is it comparable to the latest whiteBook, and how do the games run? Thanks for any info, don't mean to hijack the thread, but I can't find a whole lot of useful info on this stuff. My last mac was an iBook before they went to Intel.
I've used both, though I haven't used VMWare outside of the trial.
The gist of it, for me and hearing from others is that Parallels is faster. Or at least, it FEELS faster, snappier.
VMWare isn't slow, however, but it shoots for quality over speed.
That being said I find that Parallels is easier to use.
Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
Unfortunately my computer isn't gonna be comparable to any of the Macbooks, and most of the Macbook Pros for that matter.
Anywho, here's the answers to your questions in order:
-I currently use the Release Candidate of Windows 7. I came from the Beta, and I used Windows XP before that.
-Apple provides drivers for Boot Camp, they'll be on the OS disks that come with the computer. There will be a "Boot Camp Driver Package" on the DVD you run while booted into windows which installs all your drivers from top to bottom.
HOWEVER, the only drivers I find you need from said DVD is the Boot Camp control panel, which allows your volume keys on your keyboard to work in addition to allowing you to reboot into OS X via an icon in the taskbar. All of the other drivers, from bluetooth, wi-fi, to graphics, are all either bundled in with Windows or will pop up in Windows update. In my personal experience everything was found natively with the exception of Sound and Graphics. Graphics was taken care of by running Windows Update and sound was taken care of by downloading the driver from the Realtek website (Though the Boot Camp install would have taken care of this as well)
-I'm running the "previous" model of top-end iMac. 3.06Ghz Core 2 Duo, 4GB Ram, 1TB HDD, 512MB Nvidia 8800GTS. It plays Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress 2 at 1920x1200 with all the shineys on perfectly. I couldn't be happier. (Though, of course, when the new iMac came out not long ago, I got new computer envy, but there was no way I would have used the G4 I had for another 9 months while I waited for the "new" iMac to come out.)
So having such a beefy card makes an opinion about the macbooks difficult. Unfortunately you'll be on your own there.
For the record, Crossover games runs pretty darn well. If I don't mind playing in Direct X mode, I can start up TF2 right in OS X and retain all the performance. The only issues I've run into thus far is the occasional humorous misplaced texture (Like the spy's face being mapped onto his gun) and my 4th and 5th mouse buttons not working.
Ask away if you're got any more questions, or better yet feel free to IM me.
Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
So did you find, while using Fusion, that it felt like a higher quality product, but you preferred the "snappyness" of Parallels over it? I mean, like RBach said, Fusion and Parallels will probably just keep 1-uping the other in terms of features. I guess I'm just looking for which of the two is usually the most stable, consistently well-performing of the two. I can stand to lose a couple features if it means far less headaches down the road.
While they do tout that feature pretty highly, apparently it's usually not worth the trouble. I've heard that if you first create your bootcamp partition and activate windows and other software (such as MSOffice), when you first load that partition under Parallels or Fusion, it forces you to reactivate windows and those programs (through the phone, cause it rejects internet activiation). Now, this is purely anecdotal from reading other forums, but it appeared more than once, so there might be some merit to it. Although, maybe that sort of thing has been remedied. If anyone here has recently tried this, with good results, I'd be overjoyed to be proven wrong.
I've created bootcamp partitions using XP, Vista, and Windows 7, and haven't had too much trouble with drivers. Apple officially provides drivers for XP and Vista on your OS X install disc. Some of them are out of date (such as the graphics and audio drivers), but they are still usable, and I have been able to play TF2 no problem with the apple-provided drivers. Windows 7 isn't officially supported (obviously), but most of the vista drivers work, and you can google around for instructions on getting any others you may need.
Edit: Beated! *shakes fist at maximumzero*
I don't use Parallels for anything other than the occasional windows-only web browse or downloading stuff for Steam in the background while in OS X.
I'm not running any sort of graphics or database software in Parallels, so in this case VMWare's better "quality" (Which probably even isn't the right word) doesn't matter.
Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
So I downloaded the demo, hooked it up to my bank, downloaded the last 90 days' worth of transactions, and just went to town organizing things.
The elegance and power of this app can only be described as fiscally badass.
PSN:RevDrGalactus/NN:RevDrGalactus/Steam
Bottom line is both are very useable, Parallels feels a little snappier and seems to have a few more features, VMWare feels a little more accurate. Also VMWare's UI is more Mac-like and cocoa-ish, if that matters. I probably would have bought Parallels over VMWare, but then VMWare sent me a 50% off coupon, and when all I really need is some virtualization rather than the best, the huge price difference sealed the deal.
Fusion is miles better than Parallels, from my experience Parallels .0 releases are atrociously bad and their support is horrendously bad.
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I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.
Would you rather do all your finances on a site whose business model is based on advertising to you and may or may not in the future profile your financial data to make its ad placements more attractive to advertisers, or would you rather just pay once for a desktop app?
I mean, some folks are cool with that. But I'd prefer the app.
PSN:RevDrGalactus/NN:RevDrGalactus/Steam
Does your experience with Parallels .0 releases extend to 4.0 though? 4.0 seems really good to me. I just bought the bundle and have been playing with it, and the whole thing really feels a lot snappier than VMWare. The coherence mode in particular is a lot faster and more useful than the Fusion equivalent. On the other hand, there are some visual glitches with the WPF GUI editor in Visual Studio, so that's not good.
I gave up on Parallels after the fiasco of 3.0, is the support forum still a bad joke?
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I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.